Asad Shafiq

Right-hand top-order batter, Asad Shafiq made his international debut in 2010, and impressed immediately with a half-century in an ODI on the England tour of 2010. A Test call-up followed later that year, and Shafiq justified his selection, scoring 61 on debut against South Africa in Abu Dhabi.

Between 2010 and 2018, Shafiq was reasonably consistent as a Test batter, showing spunk and flair in the middle order. Against Bangladesh in 2011 he scored his maiden Test century, and against South Africa in 2013 he made a Test hundred in tough conditions in Cape Town: coming in to bat at 33 for 4, he added 219 with Younis Khan and scored 111 against an attack that included Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel. In 2016, he struck 137 against Australia, bringing Pakistan excruciatingly close to what would have been a famous victory at the Gabba. It also took him past Garry Sobers' record for the most centuries scored from No. 6.

A product of the Karachi tape-ball circuit, Shafiq was first noticed when he stormed the first-class scene in his debut season, 2007-08, scoring a double-hundred. He fell short of 1000 runs that season, but got to the milestone two seasons later, when he scored 1244 runs in 12 games at 49.76. He made an impact as a limited-overs player in 2008-09, when he scored 379 runs in seven games at 54.14, which fetched him a call-up for the Asia Cup in 2010.